Theatrical costume ensemble: 18th century

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Brown velvet suit, coat, waistcoat and breeches associated with David Garrick. David Garrick wore this suit to have his portrait painted. The picture now hangs in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Garrick was the actor grandson of a Huguenot refugee from Bordeaux. He became famous for acting in a natural and lively way. This made a refreshing change for audiences who were used to performers with a stylised delivery and gestures. The poet Alexander Pope was so impressed that he praised Garrick by saying: 'That young man never had his equal and he never will have a rival'. Garrick eventually became an Actor-Manager of the Theatre in Drury Lane. He staged many Shakespeare plays, helping to maintain the playwright's popularity.